Moving In || l.r.h

• 40 •

When I awoke they still weren't done with Steven. It was too early in the morning, the bright light from outside reflecting off of the pale walls and lighting up the whole place to look even more unnatural and sickly than it did during the night.

I felt a shift of weight on my shoulder. I had to awkwardly tilt my head to make sure Kaela's eyes were still glued together. Once I was certain that she was still completely oblivious to any movement I was about to make, I, gently, moved her body so that she was leaning against the other side of the hard chair, her neck being supported by her own, twisted, hand.

Slowly, I avoided direct sunlight and made my way over to the main reception. A young woman was sat behind the white, dull desk. She looked surprisingly happy, her lips curled up into a warming smile, a nice comparison to the harshness of the room we were currently stood in. However, underneath her smile I could see dark rings, placed delicately around her eyes. She was tired and I could fully understand why.

I looked down and saw elegant picture frames, holding all kinds of different families, putting them on show for everyone who worked there, a box of large tissues and an abundance of paperwork. I felt sorry for her, I really did. If someone forced me to work 36 hours or more, just in a week, within these nauseating walls I would end up killing the people coming in for help.

"Hello, what can I help you with?" Her voice just as mellow as her smile. It almost annoyed me how gracious she was.

"I came in last night with my parents?" My voice was broken from the restless sleep I had just endured. "I was just wondering if I can see them? Or when I can see them." Then maybe I could go home and get the smell of hospital off of me before seeing them. She nodded and reached for a certain stack of papers. How she knew where to find everything, I would never know. I saw her mouth slowly move, as she tried to remember what the incident had been.

"What are your parents names?" she asked, her smile still just as bright. Now I really wanted to hate her.

"Steven and Lisa Patterson," I stated. She nodded once again, apparently that was all she could do. Her freshly manicured fingers tapped at the keys as she scanned the screen in front of her for some kind of information on my parents whereabouts. She rotated the mouse for a moment before landing on something. Her perfect smile dropped.

"I'm sorry, neither are available to see at this moment. Mrs Patterson is in the rehabilitation section and your father is still in the ICU." My heart plummeted. I definitely didn't like her now, I respected her for being able to tell people things like this and keep a straight face, but I didn't like her.

"Okay, do you know when they will be ready to see?" I asked. If I was honest, I was glad that my mum was in the rehab ward because she seriously needed it; maybe it would make her realize that there is more to life.

"I'm not sure, exactly, at this moment in time. But you should get a phone call when either is ready because you are one of their emergency contacts. That is all I know, I'm sorry," she informed me, her voice stained by pity and I hated it.

I didn't want to reply. I didn't want to get into a discussion about the state of my parents. They were both alive. Granted, my dad could die soon, but for now he was okay; I would get a phone call if his condition changed, that's all I needed to know.

I wondered back over to the motionless Kaela and gently shook her to movement. Her spine curved as she tried to get rid of the click, that it had gained over night, and her balled fists made their way into the air.

"Oh shit, H is there any news?" she asked, quickly remembering where we were and why her back hurt. I shook my head.

"Lisa's in rehabilitation and Steven is still in the ICU, I can't see either of them; we might as well just go home. They have my number, they're going to call me if anything happens." I saw the sorrow in her eyes. Both of my parents were a big part of her life as well as mine. They might not be here now but there are memories of the two of us and them, having a fun time.